Elden Francis Curtiss

Elden Francis Curtiss (born June 16, 1932) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Helena in Montana from 1976 to 1993, and as archbishop of the Archdiocese of Omaha in Nebraska from 1993 to 2009.

Biography Early life Elden Curtiss was born on June 16, 1932, in Baker City, Oregon, the eldest of four sons of Elden and Mary (née Neiger) Curtiss. He studied at St. Edward Seminary in Kenmore, Washington.

Curtiss was ordained to the priesthood at Saint Francis Cathedral in Baker City for the Diocese of Baker by Bishop Francis P. Leipzig on May 24, 1958. After his ordination, the diocese assigned Curtiss to parishes in Lakeview, La Grande, and Jordan Valley, Oregon, and served as a hospital chaplain.

Bishop of Helena On March 4, 1976, Curtiss was appointed as the seventh bishop of Helena by Pope Paul VI. He was consecrated on April 28, 1976, by Archbishop Cornelius Power. Curtiss selected as his episcopal motto: "That We May All Be One" .

For the US Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), Curtiss served as episcopal advisor to Serra International and as member of the Committee on Marriage and Family Life and the Ad Hoc Committee for the implementation of the National Strategy for Vocations. He was also a board member for the Catholic Church Extension Society and Kenrick-Glennon Seminary in Shrewsbury, Missouri.

Retirement and legacy Upon reaching his 75th birthday in 2007, Curtiss submitted his resignation as archbishop of Omaha to the Vatican, as required by church law. In 2009, Pope Benedict XVI accepted his resignation and named Bishop George J. Lucas as his successor.